Mobile body surroundings display method and mobile body surroundings display apparatus

1. A mobile body surroundings display method performed by a mobile body surroundings display apparatus including an image capturing element that is mounted on a mobile body and acquires surroundings information by image capturing, a controller that creates a captured image using the surroundings information and a virtual image representing a situation around the mobile body, and a display that displays the virtual image, the method comprising:

dividing the virtual image around the mobile body into a plurality of parts, calculating a level of attention for each of regions corresponding to the divided parts of the virtual image, and detecting a region the level of attention of which is equal to or above a predetermined value, as an attention-required range;

creating the captured image of the attention-required range;

displaying the attention-required range by use of the captured image, wherein the captured image is an actual captured image, and the virtual image is different from the actual captured image and is created such that information contained in the image is less than that of the actual captured image; and

displaying a synthesized image in which the attention-required range on the virtual image is replaced with the actual captured image on the display, wherein the virtual image is a computer graphic image representing the surroundings information of the mobile body.

2. The mobile body surroundings display method according to claim 1 , wherein the attention-required range is a region on a road where a vehicle and a vehicle or a vehicle and a person travel across each other.

3. The mobile body surroundings display method according to claim 1 , comprising:

detecting an attention-required object around the mobile body;

when detecting the attention-required object, detecting a region including the attention-required object as the attention-required range; and

displaying the attention-required range by use of the captured image.

4. The mobile body surroundings display method according to claim 1 , comprising:

detecting an attention-required object around the mobile body within the attention-required range;

when detecting the attention-required object within the attention-required range, detecting a region including the attention-required object as a highlight portion; and

displaying the highlight portion by use of the captured image.

5. The mobile body surroundings display method according to claim 3 , wherein the attention-required object is a pedestrian, an animal, a bicycle, a vehicle, or a road sign located around the mobile body.

6. A mobile body surroundings display apparatus comprising:

an image capturing element that is mounted on a mobile body and acquires surroundings information by image capturing;

a controller that creates a captured image using the surroundings information and a virtual image representing a situation around the mobile body; and

a display that displays the virtual image, wherein:

the controller divides the virtual image around the mobile body into a plurality of parts, calculates a level of attention for each of regions corresponding to the divided parts of the virtual image, detects a region the level of attention of which is equal to or above a predetermined value, as an attention-required range, creates the captured image of the attention-required range detected, and displays the captured image of the attention-required range on the display;

the captured image is an actual captured image;

the virtual image is different from the actual captured image and is created such that information contained in the image is less than that of the actual captured image;

the controller displays a synthesized image in which the attention-required range on the virtual image is replaced with the actual captured image on the display; and

the virtual image is a computer graphic image representing the surroundings information of the mobile body.